Installment 19

Installment 19
This whole country is like living along side the railroad tracks. You know how when you first move in, all you hear is the train….coming, passing, going. After awhile, you only occasionally hear one, and then pretty soon you don’t hear them at all…partly because you have learned to read lips. Now, living along side railroad tracks is not the norm. God didn’t say “go forth and live thee by the tracks.” So, by living there, we in a sense create a new ‘norm’ for ourselves. Others come and say “how can you stand those trains coming by all the time?” And you say, “trains, what trains?” That’s the way it is here. I came, and all I saw was trains. Now I have been in country for awhile, and I find that I only see a train when I am looking for one. Soon, I’m sure that I will see no more trains. What was completely abnormal for me at first is becoming the ‘norm’. All the things that I write about are things that have struck me as abnormal. So what do I write about if they are what’s normal? Hmmm, there is Dale, coming next week with all his ‘western culture’ ways…maybe that will be abnormal and I can pick on him.
I have noticed that it is hotter here as of late. After careful study, I have concluded that because where I come from, they are having unusually cold, and are not using so much of the sun’s heat, so it must go somewhere. We are much closer to the sun, if you will carefully look at a globe, you will see that we are at the farthest out point of the ball…closer to the sun. So it only basic physics that the heat will get here first, and if it isn’t needed elsewhere….we keep it. This is working well for me, because I am always looking for something to complain about. Eliud says that it will start to cool soon. I asked what will I complain about. “I have known you for a long time,” he said “you are very creative and will find something.” “So if you want you can plan ahead, the rains will start soon.” Life will be better when it rains ….at least until it rains. Isn’t God good, He always provides something for us to complain about.
Jeff and went into town yesterday. Along the way he ask about my kidneys. “funny thing”, I responded between potholes, “they must be toughening up”. “Yes,” he said “when a mzungu dies here they take the kidneys and use them to retread tires.” “sounds about right” I replied “why stop punishing the kidneys just because someone dies.” Once in Kitali, we stopped by an agricultural shop and picked up 5 bags of greenges. Greenges are Kenya’s answer to oranges. They look like small oranges, only they are green and taste like lemons…kinda like they might have been picked too soon. Oh, I don’t blame them for picking too soon, because there is not much to do, and their lifespan is shorter, so they need to do it while they are still able…. And remember the ‘norm’ thing….the kids think that these things ARE oranges.
As a kid I don’t remember thinking that when I grow up, ‘I am going to get really excited about sand.’ Well, now I am grown up, (when Sandy is not around, I can say things like that) and right now, sand has become an obsession. Now if you look at that globe again, you will see that just a couple of inches above Kenya is the Sahara Desert. It has the largest concentration of sand in the world. But here…not so much. Because I need somewhere around 340 tons of sand for the two buildings that we want to build, it seems a no brainer that the Sahara should provide….They have too much and I have too little. After some thought, (yeah, I try it once in awhile) I came up with: a ton is 2000lbs; a camel can carry about 200lbs, this means that I only need 3400 camel loads. I’m glad I went to school….I can’t wait to tell Jeff.
Did I tell you that Adelaide (cook) was pealing potatoes and I asked her if she ever ate one raw. “No”, she exclaimed, almost falling off her stool, “I think they are poison.” I agreed and told her that I have special favor with God and He would protect me if I ate one. Then I ate one. She looked on with total concern, so I coughed and wheezed and staggered and fell down….but then miraculously revived. “How about tomatoes?” I continued. “Oh, yes, I like them very much.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her that tomatoes are of the Nightshade family. Later I overheard her telling Peris (another cook) that she faked me into thinking that she thought potatoes are poisonous. I have fun with Addy, she is one of my favorites, even though I don’t think I can believe a thing she says….I just don’t get some people.